11-6 (Tuesday)

After getting MORE money out of the ATM machine we took a taxi over to a local bus station. We wanted to go to Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan where John the Baptist baptised Jesus. We talked to some bus driver who said he would take us there for 10 JD ($15) each. I said, "No way." He talked to some other girl who wanted to go to the Dead Sea. She agreed to pay 35 JD round trip so he said he'd take us for 5 JD each. We agreed. We ended up giving him 10 each because he said he'd come back and get us when we were finished. The girl (who is a nurse in Saudi) Lynda and I were the only three on the bus.

At Bethany we got on an open bed truck with some Russians and a guide. The first place we stopped was at the Jordan River. We could look across to Israel. Then we walked to the place where they think Jesus was actually baptised. The water no longer comes up to that point but you could see where it once did. They are busy excavating the area. The site became very popular after Pope John Paul visited in 2000 and conducted a massive open air mass.

We could look across the river and see tourists on the Israel side. The river isn't wide at all. You could probably take 10 steps to walk across.

Two of the Russian women who were with us went down into the water and appeared to baptise themselves. One had on a bathing suit and the other put on some sort of white gown that looked like it had a religious picture on the front.

When we got back to Amman we had the driver drop us off at the Old City. We walked along the street taking pictures and looking in the shops. We met a man who makes and hand paints glass ornaments, bottles, candle holders etc. His pieces were so beautiful that I finally made my first purchase.